Americans are tired of paying high prices for a health care system they say doesn’t look out for their best interests according to a poll and video released today by the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA). Fortunately a highly-successful and popular health care shopping program for New Hampshire state employees has saved $12 million in a few years and could save patients billions if implemented nationally.

A majority of voters, 67 percent, don’t think they get better quality health care just because they pay more, and 63 percent feel providers charge significantly different prices for the same services with the same equipment. Only a paltry 31 percent of voters think their insurance company works for them to keep health care costs low. This is why 82 percent say they’ve had bills larger than they expected, and 62 percent would have a hard time paying their deductible this month if they had to.

What’s needed is to get patients invested in looking at cost and quality factors and reward them for choosing high-value health care providers. Voters want the right to shop for health care in their states, with 77 percent saying they would like to comparison shop if they were able to save money.

“The great thing about our Right to Shop initiative is that it’s a simple, proven concept that works regardless of what happens to ObamaCare in Washington. Imagine the difference we’d see if people learned they could not only save money but in many cases make money by spending a few extra minutes shopping around before scheduling their next appointment.”

That’s the real magic of Right to Shop. By sharing the savings patients generate by shopping, Americans finally have a reason to be informed about health care prices before getting routine treatments and they can begin to make informed decisions. The results are even better when patients have deductibles, which nearly all ObamaCare compliant health plans now have.

“Not only is New Hampshire saving state taxpayers money with their program, but they’re also sharing real money saved directly with the patients,” said Josh Archambault, senior fellow with FGA.

“Some folks earn $25 to $50 for blood draws and lab tests, while others earn hundreds of dollars each month for recurring treatments to manage their health conditions. Out of the $12 million the state saved in the program’s first 3 years, they paid patients a little more than $1.2 million in incentives to reward and encourage the shopping. The patients can then use the money for whatever they want: a contribution toward their kid’s college fund, money for retirement, or to help pay for future co-pays or deductible expenses.”

The multi-state poll sampled 549 likely voters and the results can be viewed here. A 2-minute video explaining how Right to Shop works for patients can be seen here. A number of states are starting to look at the Right to Shop model, with Kansas and Massachusetts setting up programs for their state employees and Arizona establishing a study committee to explore a possible program in their state.